Translation: “What is sakkāya diṭṭhi? A person uninstructed in Dhamma, who has not associated with Noble ones, who is not well-versed or disciplined, has the following wrong views. ‘I am my body; my body is me; my body is in me; I am in my body.’He perceives vedanā..sañña,..saṅkhāra,..viññāṇa in the same four ways (e.g., I am my viññāṇa, my viññāṇa is me, my viññāṇa is in me, I am in my viññāṇa) – that is sakkāya diṭṭhi.

Twenty Types of Sakkāya Diṭṭhi

3. The key is to understand the meaning of “rūpaṃ attato samanupassati, rūpavantaṃ vā attānaṃ, attani vā rūpaṃ, rūpasmiṃ vā attānaṃ, vedanāṃ attato samanupassati.” Similarly for vedanā, sañña, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa. Thus, when one has sakkāya diṭṭhi, one has four wrong perceptions each for the five aggregates.

That is called the 20-types of sakkāya diṭṭhi (vīsativatthukā sakkāyadiṭṭhi).

The first four factors are regarding just one’s own body. It turns out that those four wrong perceptions on one’s body arise in those who have uccheda diṭṭhi, i.e., that one is not reborn after death.

Then the same four factors are for the four “nāma” entities: vedanā, sañña, saṅkhāra, and viññāṇa. It turns out that those with wrong perceptions about these have the sāssata diṭṭhi, i.e., that one ‘s attā (“self” or “soul”) is eternal or forever.

In the Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1), the Buddha discusses 60 more wrong views, but those are variations of the above two. Therefore, getting rid of sakkāya diṭṭhi leads to the removal of all wrong beliefs about this world.

I will first provide the Tipiṭaka references for these two cases in the next post.

Therefore, we can deduce thatsakkāya diṭṭhi is the wrong vision that the five aggregates (pañcakkhandha) are excellent and beneficial.

The word “sakkāya” comes from “sath” + “kāya,” which rhymes as “sakkāya.” “Sath” means “good” and “kāya” means “a collection” or “an aggregate” (it could also mean “physical body,” which is also a collection of parts). Thus “sakkāya” means those five aggregates (including one’s own body) are fruitful.

Our world consists of 12 types of kāya or “collections”: cakkhukāya/rupakāya, sotakāya/saddakāya, etc. for the six sense faculties.

That vision or mindset — sakkāya diṭṭhi — is what leads to a craving for them (u­pādā­na).

5. When one has the wrong view of sakkāya diṭṭhi,some parts of pañcakkhandha become pañcu­pādā­nak­khan­dhā (pancau­pādā­nakhandha). Those are the parts that one likes based on one’s gati,

Therefore, one needs to comprehend that one gets attached to things based on one’s gati AT THAT TIME. One’s gati keeps changing and can be very different, especially in one who is reborn. If one is reborn into a bad environment (conditions), one is likely to develop “bad gati.”

Those bad kamma were done with bad gati AT THAT TIME. They can bring bad vipāka much later, even in future lives, when one maybe living a moral life. The opposite is correct too. One’s good kamma in a previous life can bring good vipāka even while one lives an immoral life in this life.

That is why we experience both good and bad kamma vipāka.

That is also why we cannot speak about an “unchanging attā/soul/ātma.” A living being is a “lifestream” that encounter good/bad vipāka based on what had been done in the past based on one’s gati at that time. Under suitable conditions, both kinds (good/bad kamma) bring vipāka.

There Are Only Causes and Effects

Translation: “A Sotāpanna (or one with higher magga phala) accomplished in view (diṭṭhisampanno puggalo) is unable (abhabbo) to fall back on the idea that pleasure and pain are made by oneself (sayaṃkataṃ). Or that they are made by another (paraṃkataṃ). Or that they are made by both (sayaṃkatañca paraṃkatañca). Nor can they fall back on the idea that pleasure and pain arise by chance, not made by oneself, by another, or by both. (asayaṃkāraṃ adhiccasamuppannaṃ, aparaṅkāraṃ adhiccasamuppannaṃ, asayaṅkārañca aparaṅkārañca adhiccasamuppannaṃ). – Why is that? It is because a person accomplished in view has seen that phenomena arise due to causes and conditions (according to Paṭicca Samuppāda). Those are the six things that a Sotāpanna (or one with higher magga phala) accomplished in view will not fall back to”.

There is no “attā” or a “soul” or a “ātma” doing those things that will lead to pleasure or pain (sooner or later).

Those kamma vipāka (pleasure or pain) materialize due to two factors. (i) Causes were created in the past based on the “gati” of the lifestream AT THAT TIME, and, (ii) Corresponding vipāka materialize when suitable CONDITIONS become available (at a later time).

Paṭicca Samuppāda describes that process.

That is why understanding “gati” is so important. One may have had “bad gati” in the past, and those can bring “bad vipāka” now EVEN IF one has “good gati” now.

That is why even the Buddha had to bear bad kamma vipāka. Even though he had “no gati left,” he had to endure the results of past kamma done when he had “bad gati.”

Translated: “Bhikkhus, because of focusing on what, attaching to what, and clinging to what leads to the arising of sakkāya diṭṭhi? It arises due to focusing on rupa (forms: things and people), attaching to forms, and clinging to forms. It arises similarly due to vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, and viññāna“.

8. Thus, one gets attached to the five aggregates and considers them to be one’s own, ONLY IF one does not see the anicca (and dukkha and anatta) nature of those entities. When one understands that such attachments invariably (without exception) lead to suffering (because none of them can be maintained to one’s satisfaction), one loses the craving for them.

That understanding by itself first leads to “loss of cravings” to the extent that one would NOT be able (abhabbo) do immoral kamma that makes one suitable for rebirth in the apāyā. When one loses such upādāna, one would also not grasp such thoughts at the cuti-patisandhi moment.

This word abhabbo is commonly mistranslated. It does not just mean “one would not do,” but one “is incapable of doing.” The enforcement is AUTOMATIC; one does not need to think about whether such an action is immoral. When certain types of gati are removed PERMANENTLY (with magga phala), one’s mind WOULD NOT be CAPABLE of doing such sinful actions.

When one cultivates such “bad gati“, one would upādāna (and be born) to bad births; that is what is meant by “needing suitable conditions to bring kamma vipāka“, In the “Kukku­ra­vatika Sutta (MN 57)” (English translation there: “The Dog-Duty Ascetic (MN 57)“), the Buddha explains how those “dog gati” that Seniya was cultivating would lead to him to be born a dog.

On the reverse, when one gets rid of such “bad gati” permanently, one would NOT be born in such unfortunate realms. That is what is meant by the verse, “Catūhapāyehi ca vippamutto, Chac­cābhi­ṭhānāni abhabba kātuṃ” (“(an Ariya) is free from the four apāyas because he/she is incapable of doing six highly immoral acts”) in the “Ratana Sutta (Snp 2.1)“.

What is Attā?

9. Now, it is important to figure out what is meant by “attā” in the description of sakkāya diṭṭhi.

Translated: “And what, bhikkhus, is the way leading to the cessation of identity with the five aggregates (sakkāya diṭṭhi)? Here, bhikkhus, the instructed noble disciple … does not regard form as attā … nor vedanā as attā … nor saññā as attā … nor saṅkhāra as attā … nor viññāṇa as attā … nor attā as in viññāṇa..”.

Translated: “Bhikkhus, form (physical body) is anattā (or not attā). For if, bhikkhus, if one’s body is attā, one would have full control over it, and it would be possible to say: ‘Let my body be like this; let my body not be like this.’ But because the body is anattā, it is subjected to decay and disease. And it is not possible to have it the way one desires: ‘Let my body be this way; let my body not be this way”.

Translated: “What do you think, bhikkhus, can form be maintained to one’s satisfaction?”—“No, bhante”—“Would something of such nature lead to suffering or happiness?”—“Suffering, venerable sir.”—“Is it prudent to regard such a thing thus: ‘This is mine, this I am, this is my self’?”—“No, bhante.”

Translated: “Therefore, bhikkhus, any form (rupa) whatsoever, whether past, future, or present, internal or external, gross or subtle, inferior or superior, far or near, all form (these are 11 types of rupa in rupakkhandha) should be seen as it really is, with correct wisdom. Thus: ‘This is not mine, this I am not, this is not my self.’

The same argument would hold for the other four mental aggregates as well.

Sakkāya Diṭṭhi and Anatta Nature

12. Therefore, sakkāya diṭṭhi permanently disappears when one comprehends the real nature of this world. That is the anicca nature (inability to maintain rupa, vedanā, saññā, saṅkhāra, viññāna in the way one likes to). Because of the anicca nature, much suffering will result, including in the apāyā (dukkha). That is when one becomes helpless (anatta); see, “Anicca – True Meaning.”

The existence (bhava) in this world and corresponding births (jāti) filled with suffering arise because one tries to go against the true nature and generates saṅkhāra (due to avijjā). That is Paṭicca Samuppāda.

When one comprehends that, one would stop generating saṅkhāra, starting with the worst kind: apuñña abhisaṅkhāra (leading to immoral deeds). That is how a Sōtapanna starts on the Noble Path.